Katsura

By GRAHAM HEPBURN for viva

I was warned by the waitress at the Carlton Hotel's Katsura restaurant that the entree I had ordered was an acquired taste, and that even some Japanese found it "stinky".

But it wasn't the strong yeastiness of my sticky fermented soy beans (natto) with raw tuna ($13) that had me worried - rather it was the fine strands that came spinning off it, like spider web silk, and wafted lazily in the air between my plate, chopsticks and mouth. With every mouthful the strands multiplied in an alarming fashion, streaming off in all directions until I hacked them down inelegantly with my chopsticks.

From within my growing cocoon of natto threads I was able to ascertain that Jane had opted for the more straightforward fried bean curd, bok choy and shiitake mushroom in thick broth ($13), which was subtly flavoured and featured the most succulent little bok choy stems.

After I had disentangled myself from my entree, our waiter assured me that the better the sticky beans, the more silk they produced when separated. So, no complaints about the quality of the natto at Katsura.

Our waiter then asked us if we'd like our mains straight away or to linger a little. A small courtesy, for sure, but one that we appreciated as it seems to have gone out of fashion these days, perhaps in an effort to keep table turnover up. And it was typical of the good service throughout the night: helpful and considered but not intrusive.

The menu is lengthy - offering set dinners, sushi meals or a la carte dining, as well as teppanyaki. And that's after the selections were halved because diners complained there was too much choice.

We dined a la carte and went for the grilled beef Katsura style ($20), steamed rice ($2), grilled salmon ($17) and tempura vegetables ($13) for our mains. The salmon was just cooked through and bathed in a teriyaki sauce that was light enough not to overpower it. Jane's beef dish arrived simmering away, staged on a porcelain holder with a tealight, and was wonderfully peppery and tender. The tempura had the right mix of crunchy batter encasing firm vegetables.

We skipped dessert, which consists mainly of ice cream dishes plus a sweet rice concoction, and were left to reflect that Katsura, while offering beautifully prepared and presented food, does suffer a little from hotel restaurant syndrome.

The lighting, which is a bit too bright, and the piped elevator music don't make for an intimate dining experience.

We dined early on a midweek night and it was quiet but getting busier by the time we left.

As we paid up for our meal ($102, including three beers and a couple of mineral waters) I made one last check to ensure I wasn't trailing natto threads through the restaurant and all the way down to the carpark.

Open: Lunch, Tues - Fri; dinner seven days from 6.30 pm.

Wine: Licensed.